


Best Dad in the Universe

by Chash



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 17:37:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14959073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chash/pseuds/Chash
Summary: Five Father's Days in the life of Bellamy Blake.





	Best Dad in the Universe

**eleven**

"What's your favorite color?"

Bellamy makes a face. Most of his focus is on the stove--his mom recently decided he was old enough to used it, and he's still a little nervous he's going to mess it up--and he's not sure why his sister thinks _now_ is a good time to chat.

"I don't know. Blue, I guess?"

"What kind of blue?"

"I'm busy, O."

"I'm doing homework."

"Your homework is to ask what my favorite color is?"

"It's a profile," she says, enunciating carefully, like the teacher made them all repeat the word a few time. They're in second grade, so he probably did.

He sighs, pokes at the mac and cheese in the pot. "Dark blue, I guess?"

"Navy?"

"Sure."

"Favorite food?"

"What kind of profile is this, exactly?"

"Just a thing about my family."

"Favorite food is, uh--pizza."

"Pizza?"

"What's wrong with pizza?"

"I dunno. It's not that fancy."

"My favorite food doesn't have to be fancy. I'm pretty sure your favorite food is pizza too."

"Burgers."

"That's not fancier."

"I'm going to say yours is steak."

"Lying on your homework? Great."

"I'm making you more interesting. Who wants to like navy and pizza?"

"I do, obviously."

She ignores him, and he lets it go, concentrating on finishing off dinner before his mom gets home. If Octavia wants to lie about him on her homework, he can't stop her. She probably wouldn't lie about anything _important_.

He forgets about the whole thing until three days later, Sunday, when he comes downstairs to find Octavia setting uncooked poptarts on a plate with shocking intensity.

"It's just poptarts, O," he remarks, and she jumps.

"You scared me!"

"Sorry, I didn't know it was so important."

"It's for you, sit down."

"For me?"

"Yeah. For Father's Day."

He swallows hard, the emotion unexpected. "I'm not your dad."

"The teacher said we could use another adult if we didn't have a dad. And I already did stuff for Mom for Mother's Day, so--happy Father's Day."

"That's why you were asking me those questions?" 

"Yeah. They were supposed to be about my dad, but--" She shrugs. "You work."

"Thanks for making me breakfast."

"Sure. Thanks for being my big brother."

He takes a bite of poptart. "Yeah. Any time."

 

**twenty-one**

Octavia keeps on giving him Father's Day presents up until he goes to college, although once they get older, she takes it less seriously. When she's seven, she puts the effort in, but by the time she's fourteen, she pretends the whole thing is ironic. He's pretty sure even if he hadn't left, she would have stopped pretty soon.

If anyone asked, he would have said he didn't miss it. After all, it was always weird, right? He's way too young to be a dad when he goes to school at eighteen, let alone when he was eleven.

But it was a little bit nice, having a day to be appreciated. For all it was a joke, Octavia tended to do more for Father's Day than she did for his birthday, and it felt more special, somehow.

So it's actually kind of cool when his residents decide they should be celebrating it again. 

Granted, it doesn't _start_ cool. It starts with someone pounding on his door and yelling, "Bellamy!"

He groans and drags himself to a standing position, fumbling to find and put on his glasses and a pair of pajama pants before he opens the door.

It's Monty, which means whatever this is was actually Jasper's idea, and they just figured Bellamy was less likely to murder Monty for waking him up.

Which is true, but still. 

"What?" he growls.

"We need you downstairs."

"For what?"

"Dorm business."

"It's nine a.m. on a Sunday."

"Isn't it your job to nurture and support us?"

"I don't know, is murdering you an option? That's sounding good right now."

"I feel like you're not allowed to murder us."

"I'm allowed to if I can make it look like an accident."

"That sounds like too much work for this early. It's nothing bad!" he adds. "Just come down."

"Let me put on a shirt."

There are common rooms on every floor of the dorms, but the only one with a kitchen and a big-screen TV is downstairs and shared by the whole building. Bellamy's never seen it crowded except when something exciting is on TV, and even then there aren't enough people that there's an actual space issue. Their whole floor somehow being awake and present must be the most action the room has ever seen before noon on a weekend.

"Hello, happy Parents' Day!" says Jasper. He and Fox are at the stove, apparently cooking, which is mildly terrifying, but Fox is probably fine. She's always struck him as fairly competent.

"Happy what now?" he asks, frowning.

"Technically it's Mother's Day," says Jasper. "But since Father's Day is after classes end, we're just celebrating you now!"

"Thanks?" he asks, but, just like with O, his stupid heart is constricting anyway.

"It's less, you know, specifically _about_ Mother's Day, or Father's Day," Monty says. "More just kind of general appreciation for you being our RA this year."

"With mimosas," adds Harper.

"You're celebrating me with illegal underage drinking?"

"It's legal for you," says Monty. "And you already know that we drink, so you should just be proud we're doing it in a controlled environment with your supervision."

"You're right, I feel so much better."

"Also we made a shit-ton of eggs and bacon," says Monroe. "So that'll soak up the alcohol."

Bellamy tries, for a couple of seconds, to come up with a counter-argument, but they're good kids, and they do drink fairly responsibly, and it's almost the end of the semester. And it is sweet of them to do all this for him.

"So, do we have a plan, or is it just breakfast and drinking?"

"We're also watching _Mr. Mom_ ," says Jasper, and Bellamy raises the mimosa that Monty pushed into his hand in appreciation.

"Sounds perfect."

 

**twenty-seven**

"I know it's not until tomorrow, but here's your card."

Bellamy rolls his eyes, but obviously accepts the bright envelope Monty offers. "Doesn't this get old for you?"

"You know, it honestly never does."

"How about weird?" Miller grumbles. "How are you cool with giving my best friend Father's Day cards? It was bad enough before we were dating."

Clarke holds up her hand like she's waiting for someone to call on her, and Bellamy doesn't let himself wince. It's not the first Father's Day that's happened since the two of them met, but it's the first one where she's been present for Monty's card, and the first one since he admitted that, yeah, he definitely has kind of a thing for her.

"Sorry," says Clarke. "What?"

"Bellamy was Monty's RA in college," Miller supplies, because he's sort of a good and helpful friend. "And they started this tradition of giving him stuff for Father's Day."

"Really? That's sweet."

"Sort of," Bellamy grumbles, not making eye contact so she won't see his smile. He puts his focus on opening the card up instead. It's minimalist but nice, just block letters reading _Dad, you're one of my favorite parents_ , and Monty even got Jasper to sign it, even though he lives a few states away, so they actually _planned_ this.

It's nice to be appreciated.

"It's totally cute," says Monty. "You love all your terrible asshole children."

"Octavia is still my alpha terrible asshole child."

"And you love her," says Clarke, leaning in to read the card. He can smell her hair like a burst of sudden color, bright and fresh. "So that checks out."

"Whose side are you on?"

"Monty's."

"Ask a stupid question, I guess." He puts his arm around Monty's shoulders and gives him a squeeze. "Thanks for the card. Thank Jasper too. Tell him you guys are my best children."

"But I'm better than Jasper, right?"

"Obviously. Numbers one and two."

"Does Octavia ever do anything for you?" Clarke asks, once everyone's attention has shifted away from the card.

"In life?"

She rolls her eyes. "For Father's Day."

"Oh, uh, not anymore. She used to when we were kids. You know how--" He waves vaguely. "Her school would have her do stuff for Father's Day when they still had class, so she'd make me cards or whatever. But that stopped once I went to college. She was getting a little old for it."

"Unlike Monty."

"I think it's less weird to do as a joke. With me and Octavia--"

"It wasn't true, but it wasn't really a joke either."

"No."

"You are kind of the best dad ever, though," she says, nudging his shoulder. "Even if you're not technically a dad. I feel like you pieced together enough course credits that it counts anyway."

He laughs, surprised. "I have enough partial children that I'm a real dad?"

"Pretty much."

"Thanks, I think."

"It's cute."

"By next year, you're going to be an actual mom."

It's her turn to flush. "A foster mom. And don't jinx it, I still need to get approved."

"You're going to get approved. I know you're worried because you're single, but they'd be idiots to turn you down."

"And the US government definitely isn't full of idiots," she grumbles.

"Yeah, okay. But it's my professional opinion as a dad that you're set."

Her mouth tugs up into a smile. "Thanks. I'm really hoping."

"I know," he says. He holds up the card. "Do you want this? Would it help?"

"No, that's yours. I just--I really want it to work out."

He lets himself squeeze her shoulder. "I know. I really think it will."

She leans her head on his shoulder, just for a second. "Thanks."

Monty texts when Clarke is talking to Raven, a simple: _best father's day ever, ur welcome_ , and Bellamy has to smile.

_yeah_ , he replies. _thanks, favorite child_

 

**twenty-eight**

"Madi's doing the same thing your sister did."

"Shit, I'm sorry," he says, kneejerk. "What's she doing?"

Clarke looks amused. "Her teacher is making them do a report on their father figures. I think she wasn't expecting this many snow days and is kind of panicking about how to keep them busy."

"I don't blame her." He swallows hard. "Madi's writing a report about me?"

"You're her father figure, I didn't think that was news."

"I figured she'd just use you. That seems more like her. _I don't need a father, I've got Clarke_."

"She already did something about me for mother's day, so I think the teacher probably wouldn't let her. Anyway, she wanted me to ask if you'd come over tonight so she could get all the information she needs from you."

"Yeah, that should be fine. I assume it's a little more complicated than whatever Octavia needed when she was in second grade."

"What did she need?"

"Favorite color, favorite food, stuff like that. She made this card that was, like, _this is my dad, he likes X_. It was cute, except that she lied about what I liked to make me sound cooler."

"That sounds like Octavia." She clucks her tongue. "If you don't want to eat my cooking, you need to bring something and make it yourself."

"I probably will, yeah."

"Cool, I like your cooking better than mine too."

"Happy to help. I'll come over around six?"

"Perfect."

He brings stuff for lasagna, since it's one of Madi's favorites and will leave her and Clarke with leftovers. Madi helps him cook, asking him kind of general questions he's not convinced have anything to do with her project, but she's still a little shy, so these are probably just the things she always wanted to ask him and never had an excuse to before.

"How did you and Clarke meet?"

"I was a temp at the place where she was freelancing. The whole place was a nightmare, me and Clarke started going out to drink and complain how dysfunctional it was. We were both in new jobs within a few months, but that's a bond that lasts a lifetime."

"And she told you when she decided she wanted to foster a kid."

"Yeah. She knew I had some experience with the system, my mom was declared an unfit guardian a couple times when I was little, so she figured I'd have some insight."

"She said if you hadn't told her it was a good idea, she wouldn't have done it."

That gives him pause. "Really?"

"She trusts you."

"I guess she does, yeah." He leans against the counter. "Is there something specific you want to know about this? I don't mind answering questions, but it's easier if you tell me what you're really getting at."

"My friend asked who I was writing about for this and I told her Clarke's best friend. And she asked what the difference was between _Clarke's best friend_ and my foster dad, and I didn't have anything to tell her. You are kind of my foster dad."

"Kind of, yeah. I think everyone's agreed I'm just kind of generally a dad. As one of my personality traits. It's not--"

Madi smirks. "You were going to say it's not personal, weren't you?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't going to mean it." He sighs. "You know I love you, Madi. If you think of me as your dad, that's an honor."

"Maybe not a full-on dad. You're--like Clarke, but a guy. I know I had a mom and a dad and you guys aren't quite there yet, but you're still my parents."

There's no logical reason it should feel like a bigger deal than just being her dad, but it's the first time in all of his Fathers' Days that someone has actually treated it as a possibility that he'll actually _be_ their father, instead of it just being either a default title or a joke.

"I think Madi wasn't actually just using me for her report because she didn't have anyone else," he tells Clarke, once Madi has turned in for the night, because that's important too. "She really thinks of me as a dad."

"Of course she does. You thought she didn't?"

"Not like how she said. She thinks we're a family. All three of us."

"Oh."

"I don't, uh--I don't _mind_. But I figured I should tell you, in case you needed to talk to her."

"Talk to her," Clarke repeats, looking amused.

"If there's someone else in the picture. A boyfriend or a girlfriend or whatever. That could be awkward."

"What if there's not?"

"There still might be, someday."

"There's not." Her tone has gone serious, her eyes intent on his. "Not right now. There's no one but you."

"Oh," he says, and laughs. "Really?"

"Really."

"Cool, same."

It's maybe not the smoothest line ever, but the kiss he follows up with is pretty great, if he does say so himself, and Clarke doesn't seem opposed to either.

 

**thirty-three**

"Is this, like, a huge deal for you?"

"What, exactly?" Bellamy asks, glancing at Madi as he flips the French toast.

"Your first Father's Day as a real father."

"I've been a real father for like six years."

She rolls her eyes, but the there's a smile lurking around the corners of her expression. Fifteen is a rough age, but they're doing pretty much okay with it, all things considered.

"Okay, as a _biological_ father. Is it like your whole life has been leading to this?"

"It's like I loved you and Clarke already and we didn't have to have a baby to make us feel like a real family. Obviously I love Ara, but I didn't need her to make me feel like Father's Day is my day. It's been my day since I was eleven. I feel like we should give it to you, I've been a dad plenty."

"I'm good. We can make a big sister's day if you want, but Father's Day is yours. Clarke's going to take a billion pictures of you and Ara, it'll be cute."

"She probably will, yeah," he agrees. Clarke's favorite hobby, these days, is taking pictures of him and the baby. Even if it wasn't Father's Day, she'd probably be taking pictures. That's her new thing. "You're not feeling replaced, right?"

"Nope. I'm going college in a few years, you guys will need another kid to distract you."

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that I'm always going to end up with a ton of kids to distract me, even if I'm not trying to get them. But you and Ara, you're the ones we worked for. So you're my favorites."

"Thanks, I'm totally going to tell Monty and Octavia that." She smiles, leans in to give him half a hug. "Happy Father's Day, Bellamy. I can't wait until Ara's old enough that I can teach her how to make you stuff."

The thought makes his heart swell up like it does every Father's Day, whether he's planning it or not. Somehow, this stupid holiday always ends up getting him, for all he's sure someone invented it to sell greeting cards.

People keep getting the greeting cards for _him_ ; that keeps on being awesome.

"Me neither," he says. "You guys are going to rock it."

"Yup," Madi agrees. "That's the plan."

And, of course, they always do.


End file.
